Beneath The Surface
by GreySawyer89
Summary: Rose has gone to Russia in search of Dimitri, and her absence has plunged Lissa into a depression that's slowly ruining her life. Will their separation lead them to realize where they truly belong, or will other forces get in the way of their reunion? RosexLissa love story.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Vampire Academy except my love and admiration for Richelle Mead. **

**Note: This is an idea for a story that I've toyed with for awhile, and I'm glad I finally had the chance to put it together. I took it from what I interpreted to be subtext that people may or may not have picked up on in the series—but I'll leave that up to the point of view of the reader lol. I'd like to know if I should keep going or leave this as a one-shot. Any reviews would be helpful, thanks! **

**Chapter One**

**Lissa**

"_Lissa come on, do we really have to do this right now?" _

_Rose always dug her heels when it came to buckling down for finals. Actually as far as I can remember, she had always dug her heels when buckling down for school, period. Well—with the exception of her combat training of course. _

"_Yes we do Rose—don't fight me on this. Your education is important." I watched her roll her eyes at me, but I wasn't having it. "It is! I don't want you falling behind."_

"_That's because you're the responsible one, and I'm the wreckless one."_

_Not able to help myself, I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Just get your stuff and get over here. We have a lot of material to get through so the sooner we start the better."_

"_The anticipation is killing me," she dryly replied. _

"_Oh Rose…"_

_She chuckled at my disapproving tone as she plopped down next to me on my bed. We opened our books and began leafing through them, trying to figure out what subject to tackle first. "Ok, let's see what we need to know for History…"_

"_That's easy. Don't repeat it. Next?"_

_I gave her the look—the scolding, motherly, "You're being impossible" look. "Do you even care about passing at all?"_

_Her expression was suddenly seriousness. She was in Guardian mode. "What I care about is keeping you alive."_

_I flashed her a small smile. "Rose, you have been keeping me alive. We've been on the run for what—almost two years now? And I'm still here. That's because of you. Don't you know you're the one person in the world I feel safest with?"_

_I watched her gaze drop as I said those words. When she met my eyes again the corner of her mouth curled up a bit and she smiled. "That really means a lot Liss," she told me as she placed her hand on top of mine. "Thank you."_

_I squeezed her hand in return. "You're welcome. Please don't worry so much, Ok? I know that wherever I am with you I'm safe. Now," I said motioning her attention back to our books. "Will you get some studying done with me?"_

_Her lips faltered flat, clearly annoyed at the turn the conversation took. "Pretty please?" I begged. _

"_Oh alright," she sighed. "Let's get this overwith."_

_I grinned at her triumphantly, basking in the glory of my victory in the continuing of Rose's higher education. "Come on Hathaway. Chapter One." _

I felt someone shaking me while calling my name to wake up. Immediately I opened my eyes and abruptly shot up in bed, grasping at my sheets out of fear and panic. "Rose?!"

"No, Lissa it's me." Christian said.

The ache in my chest dulled when I registered that it was him, but I still grappled with the overwhelming longing inside of me for my best friend. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to make sure you actually go to class today."

"Class?" I asked, feeling completely bewildered.

"Yes, you know those 45-minute snooze-fest lectures we're forced to attend here on a daily basis?" he smirked. Usually I found Christian's sarcastic sense of humor to be a turn on, but not today. Not for what felt like ages if I was honest with myself, but from what I knew was about week since…

Despair clenched my heart so hard that I had to clasp my hand to my chest in order to catch my breath. Christian was at my side immediately, putting his arms around me. "Liss—Lissa? Are you alright?"

I finally caught my breath when I answered him. "I don't want to go to class. Not today Christian."

"Lissa it's been three days." He stroked my hair as he spoke. "It isn't like you to be out for so long."

"I just…I need more time. None of it really matters anymore anyway. You said so yourself that high school is just a bullshit formality we all have to endure until we're old enough to choose our own lives."

Christian's eyebrows went up. "Wow, you quoting me to me about my disdain for our so-called higher education—and actually agreeing with my point of view? That's a little scary Liss. I know that's not how you really feel," he chuckled softly.

"I don't know how I feel about anything anymore…" I told him, my voice barely audible.

Concern was written all over his face. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't bring myself to care about anything. All I wanted to do was disappear. This time, I couldn't even really blame my depression on the effects of Spirit. I hadn't even used my magic at all this week. Not even with Adrian, who had tried multiple times—and failed—to get me to resume our practice sessions.

The pain swelling within my heart and soul cut so much deeper that anyone could possibly understand. It was all powerful; all consuming. Without her here I wasn't sure I'd have the will or desire to move forward with my life.

"Christian," I whispered as I turned to face him once more. "I'm sorry, I just…I can't do it today. It's too much."

He frowned, but not so much in disappointment as apposed to sheer and genuine concern. "Ok. I'll come back later with any homework you might have." Leaning forward he gently kissed my lips, then made his way out the door.

Adrian had somehow managed to figure out where Rose was after she left the Academy to find Dimitri. When he thought he had a solid lead on her whereabouts he confronted Alberta, the head of the Guardian Council at our school, and she sent out about a dozen Guardians to Russia to try and find her. When they came back they had reported the unthinkable.

_Rose is missing. We weren't able to find her. We're sorry, Princess Dragomir._

I wrapped my arms around myself and curled up in a ball, tears bursting from my eyes as I attempted to close them shut. "Rose…" I whimpered breathlessly. "Please come back. I need you. I miss you." I wiped the tears that were rapidly coming down my face. "Why did you leave me all alone?"

I couldn't stop my tears from flowing, or the knot in my chest from continually tightening its firm grip on me. All I could do was allow my despair to consume me, just as it had been, until I finally drifted off to sleep.

-End of Chapter 1-


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you to those who read and reviewed my first chapter! I appreciate your feedback, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the chapters to come. **_

**Chapter 2**

**Rose**

"_Lissa, I'm home!" I announced as I walked into our apartment. "I even picked up some lunch for you from that sushi place you like so much. God only knows why," I added under my breath. I never understood how people could even stand the sight of that stuff, but Lissa loved it. I wanted to make her happy. _

_I called for her again, but no reply. Panic coursed through me. "Lissa? Lissa where—_

_I reached into the bond and felt her pain. She was upset. I felt her feelings through the bond grow stronger as I raced towards her. My heart began beating again when I found her in our room. She was sitting on her bed, staring at the framed photo of her family she usually kept on the window sill. She slowly turned to look at me when she heard me come in from the doorway, her face slightly stained with tears. "There you are," I said. I was so incredibly relieved. It was times like these where I was glad the bond didn't work both ways. I didn't want Lissa seeing all the horrible things that had just surged through my mind, horrified from thinking something had happened to her. _

_She abruptly began wiping away her tears, trying to shield the fact that was crying from me. "Rose—I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."_

"_Don't be sorry," I said as I sat down next to her. She glanced back down at the photo again, pain etched across her features. I put my arm around her shoulders and gently took the frame from her hands, putting it back on her nightstand. _

"_Rose…I don't want you to see me like this."_

"_You're right, Liss. How dare you grieve for your family," I smirked, hoping the sarcastic face I was making would make her feel a little bit better. The corner of her mouth feebly curled a bit, but she was still so broken up. Seeing her like this tore my heart out. "What can I do?" I asked._

"_You don't have to do anything Rose. You've already done so much." She wrapped her arms around me, burying her face in the crook of my neck. "I'm so grateful I didn't lose you too," she said softly. _

"_Hey," I whispered, returning her embrace. "You're not going to. I promise." I held her close, running my hands through her hair to calm her. _

"_You promise me, Rose?"_

_I pulled back and looked her square in the eye as my hands squeezed her shoulders. "I promise." _

My eyes were open in an instant, and I realized where I was. Lissa and I weren't on the run. We weren't even together.

I had that damn dream again.

I let out a groan as I rolled over to my other side. As I did so, I felt something press hard against my arm. "Ow…what the?" I mumbled. It was my bracelet. The chotki Lissa had given me.

I slipped it off my wrist turned the chotki over in my hand as I lay on my bed, my other arm tucked underneath my head. The features of the Dragomir crest glistened in the sunlight that came from the window on my left. My heart lurched. This was the only piece of Lissa I took with me to Russia; a strong and painful reminder of the life I left behind. I tried like hell to give it back to her the day I left the Academy, but she just wouldn't take it. Now I was stuck taking care of it…an ironic resemblance of how I had taken care of Lissa herself for the two years when we were out on the run.

Carrying her chotki around felt like some sort of punishment—throwing in my face the choice I made to do what I needed to for Dimitri and leaving Lissa behind as a result. I thought back to that Christmas Eve dinner last year when she gave the it to me. I was so incredibly touched by it's meaning for Lissa…for us. It was supposed be proudly worn by the next Dragomir Guardian.

That title no longer applied to me.

I sighed heavily in frustration and placed the chotki back on the nightstand next to me, running my fingers through my hair. I reminded myself coming out here was a necessity—there was just no getting around it. I had to find Dimitri and destroy him. It was the only way I could save what was left of his soul.

It was the only way I could begin to move on with my life.

Besides, it wasn't like Lissa really needed me anymore. She claimed she did, but deep down I knew that wasn't true. I remembered the look in her eyes before I walked away from her—the look that seared a piece of my soul right before she said these words:

"_You love Dimitri more than me." _All those memories…all the things we shared…they hit me like a stake to the chest every time I thought about them.

At this point, I think it was safe to say that she loved Christian more than me. I had fulfilled my duty to Lissa. I kept her alive and well until I couldn't any longer—and I would have done it again if I had to. Putting aside my Guardian derived sense of loyalty to her, she was my best friend. I loved her.

As for the rest, bond or no bond—I just wasn't enough anymore.

It hurt when I realized I was no longer the center of Lissa's world. Part of me knew that one day we would be drawn into our own lives, and that despite being her Guardian we wouldn't be together as much as we had in the past, but I had hoped that time was still a far way off. I thought we had more time to just…be young. Have fun. Spend quality time with one another.

How wrong I was.

Life can really be a bitch that way. One moment all you're worried about is passing Trig and learning how to parallel park—and the next you're faced with the kind of life and death situations and decisions that forever shape your entire future. They're decisions that once you make, you have to live with. There's no turning back.

I was definitely not turning back now, not when I was so close to finding Dimitri. The Strigoi I eliminated had lead me all the way to this point. Even in their last moments before fully staking them, I could see the fear in their eyes when I mentioned Dimitri's name. He had been a god in combat as a Dhampir. I shuttered to imagine what he was like as a Strigoi now.

This little town outside of Novosibirsk had allowed me to lay low for a few days while I collected my thoughts. Nobody had any idea where I was—and I intended to keep it that way. I needed to strategize on how I was going to track Dimitri down. He was here…I could almost _feel_ it in my bones.

In my gut I knew that one day, after I had destroyed him, I would see Dimitri again. The real Dimitri. And when I did, he would smile and thank me for setting him free. It was the right thing to do. Hell, it was the only thing to do.

_I'm sorry if this hurts you Liss, but it's my choice._

Lissa would survive without me. She had Christian, along with Eddie, Mia, and Adrian, and had probably been assigned a new Guardian by now.

Besides…I had no idea if I was even coming back. Things were better off this way.

I felt my eyes getting heavy, and decided to let myself rest for awhile. I needed my strength for tonight…for what I had set out to do.

I was going to kill Dimitri.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Lissa**

I watched the sky turn from one beautiful color to the next as I sat on the grass and drowned myself in its never-ending beauty. The view of the setting sun was absolutely breathtaking. I loved nights like these, where it's warm and the sky subtly transcends from blue to pink, and purple, finally melting into that amazingly rich orange- gold combination before the sun completely disappears altogether. It makes the world seem a little more peaceful…a little safer.

I've spent every night in this very spot just staring out into the open sky, watching the luminous colors come and go. It has become a very comforting habit, one I've had a hard time letting go of. In the beginning when I first stared coming out here I would just stay in this spot until I fell asleep. I never meant to frighten anybody, but when I hadn't checked in with the front desk at the dorm people became frantic and sent out search parties looking for me. They feared I had been captured by lurking Strigoi, or that I had run away, but that wasn't the case at all. I was always here on the school grounds, protected behind the magic wards, just getting lost in the magnificence of the setting sun. Not out in the woods, not running away on some crazy suicide mission…

They still didn't know where she was.

How could Rose have done this to me? No one knows where she is, or who she's with. What if something horrible has happened to her? What if she needs my help but can't reach me because she's hurt, or locked up somewhere, or—

No. No—I refuse to believe that she's dead. She can't be.

Right?

I mean, Rose is the strongest, fiercest, most beautiful person I've ever known. She can take on anything—I've seen it with my own eyes. She's absolutely bold and brilliant when she's in combat. Her presence alone was always enough to give me the slightest bit of hope in the direst of situations; especially through all of the things we faced and conquered together over the years. We were able to conquer the obstacles life threw at us because we had each other…because we did it together.

Before she…left…I never told her how much I admire her—or how I can't put into words how much all the sacrifices she's made on my behalf mean to me. I can't believe how I let myself lose sight of what is most important in my life, and now it's—she's—gone. She's gone and it's too late and I hate myself every moment of every day for not going after her and convincing her to come back.

They have to find her. They _have_ to. She needs to come home to me where she belongs.

That's why I come here every night…why I find it so nearly impossible to leave this spot. This is the last place I saw Rose before she left. I remember our conversation so vividly. She tried giving back the chotki I had given her for Christmas last year, but there was no way I was going to let her walk away without it. I wanted her to know how much it meant for me to give it to her, and to see her wearing it everyday. I knew she would be my Guardian one day. Caring for me, loving me, and protecting me for the rest of our lives—just like we had always planned. I refused to let her give that up. I refused to let her think she was going to die.

Because that just—that just can't happen. It can't.

She's coming back, I know she is. One night I'll be sitting right here, just like I always do, and she'll walk right through those gates again. She'll come to me—to safety—and everything will be all right again.

I need to make things right.

_Rose…Rose, please—come home. I'm sorry for being so selfish. I was wrong about so many things. Please…just come back. I need to make things right. I love you. _

I knew she could hear me through the bond. It didn't matter how far away we were.

Holding on to that I laid my head against the grass, the sky being the only thing I could see.

I would ask Adrian again tomorrow if he had seen Rose in his dreams, if he could tell me that she was alright. Laying here I secretly wished that my life as it was in this very moment was a dream. That tomorrow when I woke up…none of this would be happening.

I drifted off into oblivion, holding tightly to the picture of us in our Halloween costumes from last year against my chest, knowing they would find me out here and bring me back. Just like all the other nights since I lost her.

**-End of Chapter 3-**

_**I hope this chapter was worth the wait—this was a tricky one for me. I almost went back to Rose's point of view in Russia, but since I had originally made this from Lissa's perspective I thought I would try to keep the narratives consistent, and tap into more of what she is feeling during Rose's absence. I look forward to any feedback you all are kind enough to leave and I hope you are enjoying the story so far!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**I know it's taken me and extra week or two to post anything new for this story, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait! **

**Chapter 4**

**Rose**

I was completely and utterly frozen by the sight of him.

He was standing right before my eyes. It was real.

It was Dimitri.

Slowly he approached me, never taking his red-ringed Strigoi eyes off my face. The sight of him was so completely sinister that all I could do was stare. It was like I completely forgot how to move my body. Never have I stood so still in my entire life.

This was not the Dimitri I once knew. This was a monster.

"Ah, Roza. I see you've already forgotten my first lesson," he growled.

I shook my head, not understanding what he was getting at. "What do you mean?"

We were now face to face. I didn't dare _breathe_ I was so scared.

From the moment Dimitri fell I imagined what it would be like to see him again. I thought of all the things I would say, all of the things I would do…

But none of them came close to this.

I wasn't supposed to be scared. I was supposed to do what I've been training my whole life to do. I should be trying to pin Dimitri down right now, not missing a beat in combat and anticipating his every move. He should be on the floor with me above him. I should be taking out my stake and plunging it through his chest. I should be ending this.

Instead my fear made it all too easy for him.

_If you die out here Lissa won't be able to save you this time. Right here—right now—you're on your own. _

That was the last thought I had before Dimitri spoke again. He looked at me with menacing eyes, flashing me this twisted…inhumane grin. "Never hesitate."

Then his fist met my face.

* * *

"_Lissa take the car and get out of here! Now!"_

"_Rose are you crazy?! I am NOT leaving you alone!"_

"_Yes you are!" I wailed. "This is not the time to fight about who's doing what—just do as I say!"_

"_But Rose—_

"_No! Lissa, _please_." I begged breathlessly. My hands held a firm grip on either side of her face. "You need to take the car and get out of here NOW. You know what to do." She looked like she wanted to protest but I cut her off before she had the chance. "I will find a way to reach you, I promise, but you can't be here right now—you'll die if they know you're here."_

"_But so will you!" Her trembling hands desperately clasped onto my own. I could literally feel her anxiety through the bond. It pierced her right through her core. She was terrified, as was I, but there were Strigoi on our tail and we had seconds to act before it was too late. _

"_Lissa if you die out here I will never forgive myself. It's my job to protect you. Take the car and get the hell out of here. I mean it."_

_She looked incredibly torn, but finally and reluctantly listened to my reason. "Fine! I'll—I'll do it. I'll go. Just—_

"_I know, Liss. I'll be careful."_

_Her chin quivered as a tear gently slid down her cheek. She ran into my arms and held on to me for dear life. _

_I felt my heart swell, and hugged her back just as tight. She brushed her hands through my hair and gave me one last look before she kissed my forehead and made a mad dash to our car. _

_Every single emotion inside her was screaming to stay with me, but deep down she knew I was right. These Strigoi would catch up with us at any minute now. I counted 3 of them while we were making our escape. I knew I wouldn't be able to take them all down by myself, but I had a pretty good idea of how to distract them before the other Guardians deigned to show up. _

_I watched her drive away, relief washing over me. She was gone. She was safe. _

_Now I just needed to save my own ass._

* * *

"Wake up Roza, wake up," he purred. It sounded just like…

I would have literally jumped out of my skin if I wasn't tied down. Dimitri was laying down next me—his pale face and blood-red eyes were the first things I woke up to. "Wha…what…where am I?" I whispered.

Dimitri chuckled, but it wasn't anything like I had remembered. It was evil.

"Poor, poor Rose. It's such a pity really. All that training I put you through…and yet here we are." He inched closer and I flinched at his movement. His eyes turned even more cold than I thought possible. He was angry with me—and I was lying defenseless right next to him.

Dimitri took a deep breath to release his fluster and then returned his gaze toward me. "You are _so_ lucky Rose…_so _lucky that I did not crack your pathetic little Dhampir neck like the twig that it is. I could have, you know," he snarled.

"Then…why didn't you? Why did you bring me here?"

"Because" he announced, making his way off of the bed so he could pace back and forth next to me. "You are going to help me."

_This _was certainly unexpected. My eyebrows creased. "Help you with what?"

He turned on his heel, and I watched his eyes grow wide with excitement. That sinister grin was slowly making another appearance as well—but what he told me next nearly made my heart stop beating.

"You're going to help me murder Lissa Dragomir."

**-End of Chapter 4-**

**Please R&R! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Lissa**

My footsteps resounded in massive echoes throughout the cafeteria. They all stopped to look at me; stopped and stared, arching their heads to get a better view of me approaching my table. Christian, Mia, Adrian, and Eddie were all there. Mia gave me a warm and sincere smile, and pulled the extra seat out next to her. "Come," she said. "We've missed you."

I took a deep breath and slowly walked towards my chair.

"It's nice to see you're still in there," Christian said.

"Hey, back off there fire boy. You don't want to scare her away again, do you?"

Christian scowled. "I didn't—"

"Guys, stop. I'm fine. Things are…things are not as bad as they once were."

"You know we're here for you, right Liss?" Eddie said. I nodded and smiled in response.

It was Mia who spoke next. "I know I'm not Rose, but I do have your back. I'm going to help you get through this. We all are." She eyed everyone sitting at the table.

I flinched as I heard her name spoken out loud. The others noticed. I could tell. When I opened my eyes again I saw the guilt written all over their faces. Christian's expression seemed a little different. Not quite like the others, I noticed.

Mia's voice broke me out of my thoughts. "Lissa—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…you know…"

I gave her a soft pat on her shoulder. "Mia, it's Ok. Really. I'm trying to be stronger about all of this…it's just…it's just hard."

"Well it beats the hell out of holing up in your room and shutting everyone out," Christian said. I detected an ode of something unfamiliar in his tone. Resentment? Anger? I couldn't tell for sure.

I looked him in the eye. "Christian I'm sorry. Adrian, Eddie, I want to apologize to you too." I really was sorry for pushing them away.

"It's Ok. I understand," Eddie replied.

"Yeah, it's all good cousin. No worries," Adrian added.

I looked back over at Christian, who still seemed to be a little out of sorts. "What's wrong Christian?"

The rest of them turned to face him as well. Maybe they picked up on the same thing I had.

"Is this how it's going to be?"

My eyebrows creased. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the way you're acting. Like Rose is the only person in the world that matters to you." His words were like ice.

"That's not true." I felt tears on the verge of my eyelids. "Christian, where is this coming from?"

"Oh come on Lissa, don't play dumb with me."

"Hey—why don't you take it easy there, all right?" Eddie interrupted.

Adrian chimed in as well. "Yeah, Eddie's right. What the hell's gotten into you Ozera?"

Christian scoffed and gave me a pointed look, his arms folded. "Can't speak up for yourself Princess Dragomir?"

Slapping me in the face would have stung less than hearing him call me that. Now he was making me angry. "What I don't understand is why you're picking a fight with me in front of our friends." I looked at the three of them, one at a time. This was incredibly embarrassing. "Let's talk about this in private," I hissed.

"I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to go walk this off, and then hide in my room for the next three or four days without even so much as a peep to your or anyone else. How does that sound Lissa?"

I was shocked. Completely and utterly shocked. He looked so hurt, and so angry. I had never meant to make him feel that way. "Christian, please. Let's go somewhere and talk about this."

He shook his head and started to get up. "What's the point? It's just going to turn into another sob story about Rose. Frankly, I'm not interested." Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he turned around and walked away.

Silence resonated amongst the remaining four of us. I don't believe my friends really knew what to say, but their presence alone was enough to tear down the awkwardness a bit.

"He was completely out of line. He shouldn't have said those things to you," Adrian declared.

I sighed in frustration. "Did any of you know about this? About how he was really feeling?"

Eddie and Adrian exchanged confused glances and shook their heads. "Never mentioned anything to me." Eddie said.

I turned to Mia, who looked like she was on the verge of telling me something, but decided against it. I made a mental note to ask her again later.

"I would try talking to him again Lissa. I think he just let his emotions get the best of him. Once he takes some time to blow off all that steam I have a feeling he'll be more approachable."

"Yeah…yeah maybe you're right. Thanks Mia."

"Sure thing," she replied.

Finally, I sat up a bit. "You know, I'd like to take a walk…get some fresh air. Would you all care to join me?"

Adrian and Mia grinned. "Sounds good to me cousin."

"Yeah, and this way I'll get to brush up on my Guardian training as well," Eddie said as he put an arm around me.

"Come on, let's get out of here. You lead the way," Mia said as she stood up and linked my arm with hers, Eddie and Adrian right behind us.

I sighed and looked at them, pieces of relief slowly coming over me. "Gladly."

* * *

We arrived at the gate, at my spot. Adrian gave me a worried look, and I knew what he was thinking. _This place is connected to Rose again, isn't it? _

Momentarily ignoring his look, I motioned for my friends to sit down next to me. "Come on guys, watch the sun set with me."

We sat huddled next to each other and laid back against the grass. Adrian and Eddie were on my right, Mia on my left. The sky was a pink-purple color, breathtaking as always. A soft breeze caressed our skin as we laid still. Spring was turning into Summer, and the weather was getting warmer.

I wondered what the weather was like in Russia.

"Hey, Adrian?"

He turned to look at me. "Yeah?"

"Do you know…I mean…can you—" I began.

"Can I still slip into Rose's dreams?" He replied matter-of-factly.

Mia and Eddie perked up at this as well, but didn't say anything.

"Yeah…" I didn't make eye contact when I answered him. "I mean is she…is she still there? Can you reach her at all?"

I felt Adrian's exhale beside me. He knew I was going to ask him about this before I even said a word. "It's still a little hazy right now. I'm not sure why. I try all the time though. Every night," he said assuringly.

I sighed and turned my gaze back towards the sky. "Thank you."

"Of course."

It had been 2 weeks since she left. One week since the Guardians had reported they couldn't find her.

"You know, none of us really believe that Rose is gone. She's just way too tough. She's still out there, and she's going to come home," Mia said. She gave my arm a quick squeeze. "I can feel it."

"Mia's right Lissa. I mean, if our kidnapping in Spokane taught me anything, it's that Rose can literally do anything she sets her mind to. She's just that good, and just that tough. I know what the other Guardian's have said, I've heard the talk among them about Rose's disappearance. But I can honestly say, I believe they underestimate Rose. She's going to come back. Just believe in that." Eddie had his Guardian face on. It bore the same confidence I saw in Rose when she would tell me that everything was going to be Ok.

My eyes squeezed shut, and I felt a tear crawl down my cheek. I took in a sharp breath—my voice barely above a whisper. "I really hope you're all right about this." Another sharp breath. Another tear crawling down my other cheek. "I miss her so much…"

I felt Mia's and Adrian's arms wrap around me, while Eddie reached over Adrian to touch my hand.

"It's Ok," Adrian murmured into my hair. "It's all going to be Ok."

"We're going to help you through this Lissa. Don't worry," Mia said.

They both seemed so right about everything. So logical. Rose will come home, she can survive anything.

Until then, I'll fight like hell to learn how to reach her. How to walk in her dreams. To balance out our bond in some way.

I would learn how to do this tomorrow, with Adrian. And Mia. And Eddie.

Then I let my fatigue take over and once again drifted off into oblivion.

_**Any feedback from you guys is very much appreciated. Thank you so much! **_

_**-Grey**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**After much deliberation I decided to stick with Lissa's POV for this chapter. There was more that I wanted to build on her end, and frankly I thought my last chapter was very mediocre. Trying to make up for that now ;) Hope you all enjoy my latest installment. **

**Chapter 6**

**Lissa**

"Ugh!" I slammed my hand against the table in frustration. "Adrian I was _so_ close to nailing it this time. I can't believe it fizzled out at the last second…"

"Easy Liss, you're doing great. I'm actually very impressed with how far you've come in the last couple of days."

"Well, I certainly have a good enough reason to keep trying," I said, slowly running my fingers through my hair. "I know my bond with Rose only goes one way, but, Adrian it's like I _know_ she's still out there. I can feel her somehow."

He studied me for a moment before he answered me. I wondered if it had anything to do with my Aura. "You know, you two really are something else. I saw it right away when I first met Rose, how protective she was of you when Mia started in on her back in Spokane. Do you remember that?" he grinned.

"Yes," I chuckled. "Rose came back to our room and told me all about it. We both wanted to kill Mia. But, I knew that between the two of us we could handle all the drama. Rose always had my back." I scoffed, shaking my head. "Now look at us…." I whispered.

Catching myself slipping into those dark and aching feelings for Rose, I quickly looked up and noticed Adrian was once again studying me. It got to the point where it piqued my curiosity. I had to know what he was thinking. "Adrian…why do you keep looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" he recovered.

"Like…you're trying to figure something out about me. Is it my aura? My energy? Something embarrassing on my face?"

"No," he laughed. "It's definitely not anything about your _physical_ appearance. It's…more about your spiritual energy."

My eyebrows raised in increasing interest. "What about my spiritual energy?"

"Nothing. It's just…" My eyebrows rose in anticipation of his answer, but suddenly a wall went up inside him. "Never mind. Forget I mentioned anything."

"Oh, come on. Now you have to tell me what it is."

I caught his scowl, and presented him with my best pouty-face in return. "Please, Adrian?"

He exhaled in annoyance and finally looked me in the eye. "Look, Lissa—I'm not even sure how to bring this up. It…might offend you."s

"Well you won't know for sure unless you actually tell me." I folded my arms. "Come on. What's got you so weirded about my energy all of a sudden?"

Adrian looked very conflicted, but he begrudgingly complied. "Ok. You might want to sit down for this. I know I do," he muttered under his breath.

"Ok…" I sat down on my bed across from him. "Sitting. Please proceed."

He sighed and finally made eye contact with me. "Lissa, what do you—" He paused, looking even more uncomfortable than he had before. "This is probably going to sound strange…but I have to see if I'm right."

There was a long stretch of silence on his end before he found the courage to continue. "I need you to take me into one of your memories with Rose. Maybe even more than one…" he added softly.

My eyes widened again, this time in surprise. It was a bit of an unexpected request. "Does this have something to do with where she is right now?" My heart nearly stopped in my excitement of the possibility. "Adrian, can you—can you _feel _her?!"

"Not exactly," he countered, the wheels still turning in his head. "It'll be easier to explain once I get inside your mind. Do I have your permission?"

I nodded in response. Whatever it was that Adrian thought he figured out about Rose that somehow had something to do with my energy from Spirit—I wanted to know what it was.

"Yeah. Let's do this."

"Ok. Thank you." Leaning back against our two separate beds we allowed ourselves to relax and focus on permitting our minds to connect. After a few minutes I could sense his aura becoming more in sync with mine, and I delved into my memories…

* * *

_The car came to a crashing halt before toppling over. It all occurred so fast that none of us even had time to process what was happening to us. I felt the hard bumps of our car hitting against the rocky elements of the ditch we collided into. Rose and Andre were on either side of me…their blood-curdling screams deafening my ears. _

_Our last impact from the fall resulted in the car plunging headfirst into the stony surface at the bottom of the hill. The next thing I knew my parents were flying right through the windshield. Suddenly Andre wasn't making another sound—his screaming had completely stopped. _

_When I came to I saw Rose lying next to me. She was as still as anything. I crawled closer to her and propped my head on top of her stomach. Looking around I desperately scanned my surroundings to find Andre and my parents. _

_What I saw completely changed my life forever. _

_Andre was hanging out the side of the car, which was now upside down and scrunched in from the impact. His limp body twisted inside of it made it clear what had happened to him. My brother—my big, wonderful brother whom I looked up to more than anything—was now a pile of entangled, lifeless limbs squished together. I let out a sob as tried choking back the vomit emerging in the back of my throat. _

_Looking further I found my parents as well…and they had met the same sickening fate. _

_Wracked with despair, the only thing I enough strength left to do was cling for dear life to Rose's still body. I couldn't bare to look at her…to learn that I had lost her as well. It was just too hard. I pulled myself closer to her, burying my face into her neck and just—just cried. I cried until I literally couldn't anymore. _

_Using whatever strength I had left I slowly propped myself up to finally get a better look at Rose. I didn't think I'd have any will to live afterwards, but one way or the other I needed to know for sure what had happened to her. Brushing the hair out of my eyes I put all of my focus onto her. My best friend. My Rose. _

_There were so many cuts and bruises marking up her beautiful face…so much blood everywhere. I tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear while I called out her name in soft whimpers. "Rose? Rose, can you hear me?" Holding her face in my hands I called for her again. "Rose? Rose please—please just wake up. I need you to be Ok!" Tears flooded my eyes as I continued to stare down at her emotionless…lifeless face. She wasn't waking up. She wasn't giving me an answer. _

_In the distance I heard screams. I lifted my head sluggishly to see where they were coming from. Looking up at the top of the hill were passers-by who noticed the accident. They were shouting and pointing at us in horror. I lifted my limp hand in response to let them know I was at least still alive. Throughout all of the mess and confusion I heard someone yell down to me that they were going to get help…that everything would be alright. _

_My parents were too badly injured for anyone to possibly help them. The sight of their bodies laying there was too much for me to handle…so I kept all of my focus on Rose. _

_Filled with nothing but my own desire to die along with the people I loved, I buried my face in Rose's neck once more. My exhaled breaths softly caressed her skin, which somehow still felt warm. All I could do was hold her close as more tears made their way down my cheek again. In between sobs I gently kissed her neck. "I love you Rose," I sobbed. "I'm so, so sorry." I wanted more than anything for her to wake up. _

_After laying there for about a minute I felt something move underneath me. It was abrupt. The next thing I felt were arms wrapping themselves around me. Startled from the contact I abruptly lifted my head to look down at Rose again. She was…she was coughing! Her eyes had fluttered open and she was coughing and grabbing a hold of me and—_

_She was alive. _

"_Rose?! Rose can you hear me?! It's me—Lissa!"_

_Her eyes opened once more and she began to focus on me as I held her head in my hands. "Liss…" she croaked. _

_I don't think there was anything else in the world more amazing than the sound of her voice when she said my name at that moment. _

"_Yes! Rose I'm here! I'm right here."_

_She must have seen the cuts on my face as well. Her eyes widened in horror as she began to process more of her surroundings. "Oh my God, Liss! What the hell happened to us?! Are you alright?"_

_It took me second to answer that question. I couldn't believe that Rose was actually talking and breathing right now. I thought I had lost her too…_

"_I'm—I'm alive. But Rose, my parents…and Andre, they're—they're gone." I could hardly even say the words out loud. None of this seemed to be real._

"_Oh Liss," she whimpered. Slowly she propped herself to sit up straight and wrapped me up in her arms. We held each other and cried. Minutes later we pulled apart at the sound of sirens growing louder and making their way toward us. _

_Rose placed her hand against my face and turned me back to face her. She was devastated, but I noticed flicker of strength in her eyes. "Lissa, whatever happens next…whatever they tell us…I want you to know that I am NEVER—EVER—going to leave your side. Do you understand?"_

_I nodded in response. "Yes. And I am never leaving you either. I love you."_

"_I love you too."_

_She held me in her arms while all the police and EMT workers flooded towards us. I knew they would be taking us to the hospital now, and later on I would have to answer questions. But right there—in that moment—the only thing keeping me alive was the touch of Rose's fingers stroking my hair, and her strong, beautiful voice telling me that we were going to be Ok._

* * *

I opened my eyes back to the present. My memory of that horrible day knocked the wind out of me, and it took a few moments to recover. I could tell Adrian felt the same way. When we sat up he looked at me with so many emotions plastered on his face. Sorrow, sympathy, compassion, even shock. That was probably his most striking emotion. What he told me next made me understand why.

"Wow…I—I was right. I can't believe it…"

"Right about what, Adrian?"

"The way you feel about Rose."

"What do you mean…exactly?"

His eyes narrowed. "You're…you're in love with her, aren't you?"

I froze. I had not dared say those words out loud to anyone—not even myself. And here comes Adrian just spilling them out for me to confront head on. It was incredibly scary, but deep down it made sense. Deep down, even I had to admit it was true.

I took in a sharp breath before I answered. "Yes." There was a brief pause of awkwardness that hung in the air before I continued. I think Adrian was trying to process the words I had just said. "Yes, I'm—I'm in love with Rose."

I watched as Adrian put his hands on his knees and held his head down. I never thought in a million years I would witness the great Adrian Ivashkov at a loss for words, yet here he was, completely speechless.

"Adrian please…please don't tell anyone about this."

"Like who, Christian?" He said as he finally locked eyes with me once again.

I closed my eyes in frustration and guilt. "Especially Christian. I'm going to tell him myself. He deserves to know the truth about why I've taken Rose's absence so hard."

Adrian nodded, and didn't look so spooked anymore. I think it was all starting to make sense to him too. "Look, Lissa don't worry. I won't say a word about this to anyone. You can count on me to keep this a secret."

"Thank you Adrian." I got up and gave him a hug, which he returned.

"Well, I think I'm going to head out for some fresh air for awhile—if you don't mind."

"No, not at all. I'll see you later tonight for dinner?"

"Sure," he smiled. Then he made his way out closed the door behind him.

I walked back towards my window-sill and looked out at the school grounds. If Rose was alive and alert, she probably saw me going back into that memory. Suddenly I felt scared and ashamed. Leaning against the window I pulled my knees closer to my body and wrapped my arms around them. Maybe I had just made everything worse. Maybe, if Rose is still alive, she's completely disgusted my what she saw and felt through the bond.

I should have left well enough alone.

_Way to go, Dragomir…_

**End of Chapter 6**

**Please R&R! **


	7. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

First off, I just want to say that in writing this story I don't mean to offend anybody. Yes, I've gone in the direction of pairing Lissa and Rose up together romantically, and I apologize to those of you who felt my story description was somewhat misleading. I've made a few changes to that, indicating in the description that my story is in fact a love story, and I've changed the rating to M just to cover my bases. I guess I thought people knew what I was referring to when I wrote about the subtext I noticed in the first 2 books from my first chapter, but just to clarify this is just an interpretation of something I perceived from the story. I love everything about Vampire Academy's canon, but I wanted to try writing from a different perspective. Again, I apologize if anyone felt mislead in reading my work.

Thanks,

Grey


	8. Chapter 7

****_******I really hope everyone enjoys this part of the story. I'd love to hear what everyone thinks!**  
_

**Chapter 7**

**Rose **

"You're running out of time Roza…" His eyes bore into me like daggers. "You need to make a decision, or I will be forced to make one for you."

"Dimitri come on—just kill her already!" one of the others shouted. "We could be halfway back to the States by now if you'd j—"

I flinched as Dimitri backhanded his minion—Darius, was his name—like he wasn't doing anything more than swatting a fly. Watching him and his gang of Strigoi over the past several days while they held me captive had confirmed my worst fears to be true. Dimitri _was_ even stronger now as a Strigoi than he was as a Dhampir. I didn't have the faintest idea of how to stop him…or how to get the hell out of here.

"You will NOT interrupt me while I am talking to Rose! Do you understand?! Or do you need a little further explanation," he spat, gnashing his fangs at Darius and balling his fists.

I watched as Darius shook his head at him, like a little kid who got caught doing something he shouldn't. "Sorry boss…" I heard him mumble. He couldn't even look Dimitri in the eye.

Dimitri knelt in front of him. "Not as sorry as you will be…mark my words Darius." He gave him one last blow to the face before he turned around and walked away. "Get him out of here!" He roared. "In fact all of you—leave at once. I need to speak to Rose in private." Quickly, quietly, and in the lethal way only they knew how the Strigoi fled my chambers as fast as they had entered when Dimitri summoned them.

As soon as the door closed and the last Strigoi was gone Dimitri made sure to lock the door behind him. Then he turned, ever so slowly, and began pacing towards me. He looked so calm and collected, with his hands behind his back and every step he took perfectly calculated until he stood right in front of me. Those creepy mannerisms soared my anxiety to even greater levels than I knew to be possible. Not only that, his insane mood swings made it difficult to tell whether or not I would live to see another day. I was tied to this bed I had been captive to—_trapped in_—for about four days if my timing was correct. I was left completely defenseless. With every passing minute I gradually grew to loathe Dimitri with every fiber in my being. I wanted to make him pay for all the torture he was inflicting on me. The physical pain at times had left me blinded in agony. He would backhand me, just as he had done with Darius, whenever he didn't like one of the smart-ass answers I had given him. The sheer force of his blows were nearly unbearable to withstand. It didn't take long to lose my sarcasm and attitude. Despite that, I tried with everything I had in me to show Dimitri that no matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, I would not back down—and that he was full of shit for thinking he could turn me into one of _them_.

I understood his angle—he was trying to wear me down. He knew that after a certain amount of time I would hit a breaking point. _Not a chance in hell…_ I kept reminding myself.

Dimitri took a seat in the chair next to the bed, pressing his hands to his lips in a way that made him look like he was praying. "Roza, I'm growing very, _very_ impatient with you. You have been given chance after chance to willingly let me Awaken you, yet you have disappointed me." He inched a little closer when he spoke again. "I _am_ declaring war on the Moroi. We _will_ overthrow the government and destroy every single Royal in existence." While speaking to me he gently caressed his hand against my cheek. I shuddered at his touch and tried to move my head away, but all that achieved was an even angrier Dimitri. His hand gripped the back of my neck, and I was forced me to look at him while he continued. "You know what your part will be in all of this Rose. Can't you see how delicious this all is?" His eyes went wild in excitement. "_You _will be the one to end the Dragomir Princess. Her selfish, worthless, despicable life will be over!"

"Her life…will never be over," I snarled. "I will NOT let you do anything to her!"

"Oh, but you will! And that is because you don't have a choice. I have made myself perfectly clear. You either become Strigoi through your own volition, or I will turn you against your will. No matter which way it comes to be…I will still get what I want. Think about it, Roza. Once you're Awakened, your story will become legend amongst us. Strigoi for generations to come will remember the one who brought down the last Dragomir heir—the very same one who was her shadow-kissed guardian, none the less!"

I inhaled a sharp breath. "I will never let you touch her. _Ever_. And I will NEVER give in to these sick and twisted delusions. You won't get the satisfaction of using me to hurt her."

The corner of Dimitri's mouth began to twitch. He couldn't control the laughter bursting from the seams. It morphed into a sickening giggle. "Do you _really_ think you can beat me, Roza?"

For the first time since he brought me here, I wasn't afraid to get close to him—to get in his face. Strigoi or not, he had crossed a line beyond the point of return. It didn't matter that I was trapped here against my will. It didn't matter that I was still hurting over the fact that I felt like I lost her. All that mattered to me was that she was safe. And alive. And breathing. If I had to give my life in order for that to remain a reality…then that's what I would do. "I stand by what I said. I don't care what I have to do. I will _not_ let you take her from me."

I was shaking. The thought of Dimitri doing anything to Lissa, or even worse—turning me into a monster so I could do his dirty work for him—enraged me beyond my own recognition.

Dimitri only continued to mock me with his sinister grin. Apparently, this was all a big joke. Although, considering the situation he put me in I could almost see why he wasn't taking me seriously.

Almost.

Dimitri shook his head. "Still the same old Roza…always speaking before you think about the words you are saying." He stepped away from me now, moving toward the edge of my bed. I was grateful those horrifying eyes were now at a greater distance from my own. They were disturbing. _He_ was disturbing. "You're stubbornness will get you nowhere with me now, my love. You _will_ become one of us…and I will have a front row seat for when you find that pathetic little excuse for royalty—and rip her to pieces until she no longer exists."

I shook my head at him fiercely, hot tears burning my eyes as they fled down my cheeks. "STOP!" I shrieked. "Just…just stop." It took me a minute to calm down but I finally found the strength to do so, albeit a little heavy breathing. "I've heard all of this from you already Dimitri. My answer…is _still…no._ Nothing you say will ever change my mind."

His eyes narrowed, and his voice suddenly became dangerously low. "You don't belong to her anymore. She doesn't belong to you. Your tie to the Princess must be severed—it is the only way I will ensure my claim on you forever. Soon, after you're Awakened, she will become a nothing more than distant memory. You will want to do this—I guarantee it. The moment you take her life—take that bite into her pale, marble white flesh—will be pure ecstasy. Besides," he said as he flashed me another twisted smile. "Don't think I don't know how deep your bond with her goes, Roza. I know how much you enjoyed letting her feed off of you."

I froze in horror.

He just stood there and chuckled at me, all haughty and evil. "This is _so delicious_! Oh Roza, you had no idea how closely I was watching the two of you we had dragged you back to the Academy. I will never forget the look on your face when you took the Princess to her first feeding back in the halls of the Cafeteria."

"Shut up…"

His continually growing smirk kept mocking me. "I thought I had made a mistake at first, but when I studied you again more closely I proved myself right. You were _jealous_."

I let out a scream in my frustration, but Dimitri just kept going. "You see, I wondered if it was because you were going through some sort of…shall we say…blood whore withdrawal? But there was definitely more to it than that."

"You sick, twisted bastard," I growled.

"No, my darling. That would be you."

"I HATE you Dimitri!"

"Ah, you say that now, but these feelings are only temporary. Just like your feelings for that stupid Princess will be come sundown tomorrow evening." He spun on his heels and headed toward the door, my screams doing nothing to retrieve any help from the world outside this room. "Enjoy your last night as a Dhampir," he spat.

Then the door slammed shut behind him. I had never felt so hopeless in my entire life.

I lay there motionless, not knowing what else I could do. I, Rose Hathaway had been put in a situation that I couldn't sweet-talk or fight my way out of. Not this time. Everything inside of me told me I should just give up.

I wanted more than anything to hear from Lissa at that moment; to feel her through the bond, to have some sort of connection to her. I hoped to God she was Ok. Never have I missed her more in my entire life than I did right now.

The room was quiet. I closed my eyes for just a moment…trying to find some small ounce of peace within my soul to obtain a little comfort. In the back of my mind I couldn't help but wonder, how the _hell_ I convinced myself that I would be able to pull this off? I supposed that I had more confidence in myself than sense. _You should have stayed with Lissa…_ my thoughts snidely chided me. But, then again, if I had never left Montana it wouldn't change the fact that Dimitri would still be out here. He'd still be planning all this vile evil he so desperately wants me to be a part of. Worst of all…he'd always be a threat to Lissa. Here, at least I know what his motives are, and what exactly he intends to accomplish with his gang of demented mongrels. That alone didn't seem half as scary as panicking over what he could be plotting half a world away—not knowing anything at all. I knew everything being captive here.

I just couldn't do a damn thing about it.

I exhaled in desperation, and closed my eyes shut once again. My focus had gone into trying to reach into Lissa's mind. I wanted to be able to feel her one last time while I was still me…_the real me_.

The silence filling the room allowed me to concentrate on successfully connecting my mind to hers. I recognized the feeling of my senses transforming into identifying a different set of surroundings.

Then I was pulled into a world that wasn't my own.

I witnessed a flash of some hazy, unclear vision. It reminded me of watching a static television that lost its signal.

Then I heard a voice that I would recognize anywhere…a voice that made me so happy my heart skipped a beat. _"Adrian come on. Now you have to tell me what it is."_

I was stunned. After 2 weeks of zero contact or connection with Lissa…I finally heard her talking to Adrian! For some reason my insight to her wasn't as clear as it usually was, but at that moment none of it mattered. I couldn't help but laugh a little. She was with me now when I needed her most—and she didn't even know it.

There static still interrupting the conversation, so I was only catching bits and pieces of the conversation. _"You might want to…sit down for this. I know I do," _he muttered under his breath.

"…_Sitting…proceed."_

"_I need you…to take me into one of…your memories with…Rose. Maybe even more than one…"_

"…_Can you—can you_ feel _her?_"

"_It'll be…easier to explain…once I get inside your mind. Do…I have your permission?"_

"_Yes."_

What the hell was going on?

I received my answer in an instant as I was once again pulled into Lissa's mind. It was a beautiful summer afternoon. She was driving in her car with her…with Eric, Rhea, and Andre! And also—

Oh God.

I relived the loss of control of our car in Lissa's mind. It was like I was an outsider in this vision; not seeing the events before me directly through Lissa's eyes like I normally would when I'm pulled into her mind.

We crashed into the ditch, just like it happened in real life. All of the Dragomirs died in an instant, with the exception of Lissa. Their bodies were so battered and broken from the crash…

I saw myself lying there in the dirt…so still…and clearly, very dead. I couldn't believe it. This was straight out of a nightmare. Lissa's nightmares…

I watched as Lissa crawled up next to me and wrapped her arms around me. She was devastated. Frankly, having to watch and relive that horrible day right along with her took out a ton of energy. I noticed how tightly she was clinging to me, and listened intently as she was calling my name for me to wake up. When I wasn't answering, she became even more hysterical and buried her face in my neck, holding me close. In between her sobbing she looked down, and I watched as her lips ever so gently brushed against my neck. "_I love you Rose," _she said. _"I'm so, so sorry."_

My heart broke for her all over again. Why was she going back to this memory? What was Adrian trying to find out? He was looking at Lissa intensely, and she was looking back at him with the same amount of pensiveness. _"I….was right."_

"_About what, Adrian?"_

"_About the way…you feel about Rose. You're in love with her…aren't you?"_

In love? When the hell would Lissa ever entertain such an idea about me? No way, this-

"_Yes..I'm—I'm in love with Rose…"_

Shocked flooded through me. Was this a dream? Was what I was seeing and hearing right now for real? Never…never in a million years would I have dreamt those words to come out of Lissa's mouth.

Adrian promptly excused himself, and Lissa was once again left alone. I watched her make her way to her window. In an instant her feelings blasted into me, creating a catapult within my senses. This _was_ real—and she was hurting. Flickers of fear…embarrassment…even shame pulsed within her. She was so scared. _Oh, Liss…_

The bond lead me to learn that deep down, Lissa had felt this way for very long time. This was something she shielded from me…something not even I through our bond was able to detect…she blocked it out somehow. Maybe she didn't even want to admit it was true.

Flashes of old memories of the two of us immersed her. Halloween last year, parties at the Academy, cold nights we spent together while we were out on the run…

Yearning flourished within my chest to be near her. I wanted to take her into my arms and hold her, tell her everything was going to be Ok. She didn't have to be ashamed of her feelings. She didn't have to run from them any longer.

Because I loved her too.

Just like that I was pulled back into my reality as quickly as I had been taken out of it. Lissa's revelation had jolted me. I was overwhelmed with a tremendous amount of hope.

Finally, for the first time since I arrived in Russia, I felt like I had something to go back to.

I hadn't lost Lissa afterall.

Knowing what I knew now there was no doubt in my mind that the last thing I was going to allow myself to give up.

_I'm coming back to you Lissa. I'm coming home. _

**End of Chapter 7**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Mia**

You know, I swore to myself when Senior year started that I was going to keep clear of any and all stupid drama. Lord knows last year was a doozy…even if it was all my fault.

Lissa, Rose, and I had actually started becoming friends during these last couple of months. To be honest, I still feel bad about the war I started with them last year. I can be a real bitch when I want to be—and I _wanted_ to be one to Lissa in some bizarre-o attempt to get back at her brother for using me like a tissue. Her _dead_ brother.

Who the hell does that?

I think Lissa knows how sorry I am for the pain and trouble I caused her. After I gave myself the chance to really get to know her, I realized what a sweet person she truly is. Her whole crew is actually pretty cool. Eddie's a doll, Adrian is charming as hell, and Christian…well, Christian turned out to be nothing like I expected.

And I mean that in a good way.

Surprisingly enough, he was the one who originally went to bat for me when things simmered down with Rose and Lissa. It's funny how once you get to know people—and I mean _really_ get to know them—you see facets of their personality that you never would have noticed had you not taken the time to not be so judgmental in the first place.

Christian was always and outcast here at St. Vladimir. Ever since we were little, even the teachers would seem a bit on edge whenever they were around him. Knowing what I know now about Christian…I can see how harshly he was misjudged.

He was the type to put up a hard front, no doubt. He didn't trust people as far as he could throw them—even when they showed him a small amount of kindness. It was too big a risk. I knew that because, quite frankly—I tended to be the same way. Hence all the bitchiness from last year.

The last thing I wanted was to start trouble with Lissa again. Her breakup with Christian had caused me a lot of stress. She's my friend…but so is he.

I was in the library one afternoon last week when I saw Christian all alone. It was right after the breakup, and I hadn't spoken to him since it happened. I wanted to give him some space, and somehow it felt like I'd be stabbing Lissa in the back again if I sought him out to make sure he was Ok. I mean, what was the right thing to do in this kind of situation?

When he saw me he pretended not to—but I caught him before he could walk away.

* * *

"_Wait," I called after him. _

_Christian stopped dead in his tracks. My hand gripped his arm tightly while I held him in place. His muscles tensely flexed in rebellion…he was actually more built than meets the eye._

"_Christian, I'm…look, I'm still your friend. I just want you to know that. It doesn't matter to me what happened between you and Lissa. I'm not…I'm not choosing her over you – or the other way around. If you ever need someone to talk to you can always talk to me." _

_He turned around slowly, finally looking at me. "What makes you think I need someone to talk to? I've been doing fine all by myself my whole life. Why should that have to change now that I'm not with Lissa anymore?"_

"_Because meeting Lissa allowed you to let people in—even if it was hard at first. You let her and her friends get a glimpse of who you are and guess what? It turned out to be not so bad."_

_Christian laughed bitterly. "Not so bad, huh? I'll tell you what it turned out to be Mia—a goddamn waste. I lost her. Do you really expect me to believe that anyone is this hellhole would think to say, 'Gee, let's hear Christian's side of the story. Maybe he had a legitimate reason for being upset with her.' If you think there is anybody who would be open to listening to my side of the story or understand where I'm coming from, you're delusional."_

_I took a very long and hard look at him. I always knew Christian had this dark, mysterious side, but this was different. This was…human. Vulnerable. He genuinely felt alone, like there was no one he could trust. _

_I reached my hand out to him once more. His forearm flinched when I made contact, and there was confusion and awkwardness in his expression too. When I slid my hand down his arm to intertwine with his fingers, I could feel that his initial reaction was to pull away…but then he started to ease up a bit. I learned right then and there how hard it truly was for Christian Ozera to put his trust in people. _

"_Hey," I told him soothingly. "I'm here. I'm listening—and I want to hear your side of the story." I squeezed his hand in re-assurance. "Besides, I don't know if you've heard, but, I've kinda got this reputation around here for being a slutty back-stabbing ho." The corners of his mouth slowly tugged upward and he eventually gave into his laughter. I joined in with him, and our Librarian Mrs. Slova started narrowing her eyes at us in a silent threatening message to shut up and keep our snickering down. I turned back to Christian, who also caught her warning glare. "So you see? You're not the only one people give the stink eye to in this place. Even Slova thinks she's got my number," I whispered as I subtlety tilted my head in her direction._

_Christian's small smile turned into a mischievous, playful grin. I realized that I missed that grin. I hadn't seen it since…well, since he was Lissa, back when things were all lovey-dovey between them. _

_His deep voice broke me out of my thoughts. "Come on, let's go make ourselves scarce." He gently tugged my hand and led the way down to one of the more secluded corridors. When we got there I recognized it immediately. It was this out-of-the-way section of the library that most people didn't really know about, so hardly anyone ever wandered in there. I called it: The Bat Cave. Its privacy was what I loved most about it. When things got bad last year and I had made myself sick with all the rumors and the gossip, this is where I would come to clear my head and get away from it all. It was my sanctuary. I found it kind of ironic that Christian knew about it too. I thought I was the only one. _

_We sat on one of the couches next to the giant painting of St. Vladimir and St. Claire that hung up on the wall. Cases and cases of books surrounded us. Only they would have the privilege of hearing our conversation today. _

_Once we got comfortable, I looked Christian directly in the eye when I spoke. "Ok Ozera. Why don't you start from the beginning?"_

* * *

We wound up talking for 3 whole hours before it was all said and done. I had no idea how much Christian needed to get off his chest. It was crystal clear to me that he had bottled up everything inside up until this point. My therapist always says that it's a good thing to talk about your feelings out loud, because doing so is the first step towards dealing with your problems head on. I don't think Christian needed someone to talk _to_ him as much as he needed someone to just sit down and listen. Someone he knew wouldn't judge him.

Someone he could trust.

I had to remind him at times that I was Switzerland in this situation – Lissa was still my friend too. I defended her when I felt it was necessary, but did it in a way that wasn't disrespectful to him at the same time.

* * *

"_Well, thanks anyway. For letting me vent…as lame as all of it was." _

"_Christian it wasn't lame. You were hurting. You still are. And, now that you know you're not some lone wolf in this place, can you try to promise me something?"_

"_Hmm…that's risky," he sighed. _

_I rolled my eyes. "Look just hear me out Ok? Will you try to not be so grumpy towards Eddie and Adrian from now on? They haven't abandoned you either."_

_His eyes narrowed. "You want me to be all nicey-nice to Ivashkov? No thanks. I think I'll find the will to go on with my life without him. There's no love lost between us."_

"_Ugh," I groaned. "Alright fine, I guess I kind of get why you want to steer clear of Adrian. But what about Eddie? He's always been cool with you."_

_Christian sighed in frustration. "Yeah, but he's super loyal to Lissa. It's his whole Guardian-in-training mentality. You have any ideas on how to compete with that?"_

"_There's no need to. Eddie's a pretty straight guy. If you went up to him and raised your white flag, I honestly think he'd see it as some sort of truce and would put that ugly fight between you and Lissa behind him."_

"_Maybe," he scowled. "That – that fight was – it was pretty bad, wasn't it?"_

_I chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I'm not going to lie Christian…it was." Now it was my turn to scowl. _

* * *

Part of me was mad at him that day for walking out on us in the cafeteria like that, but, part of me actually sympathized with him too. I've gone over their fight in my head lots of times since it happened. I really don't believe Lissa ever meant to hurt him. I just think she needs to figure out her life right now, and that means moving on without Rose. Maybe…maybe she doesn't even…understand…what her feelings for Rose fully are. I would always joke about there being lesbian tendencies between the two of them back when I was out to ruin their lives, but now – now I actually wonder if Lissa doesn't have some serious, legitimate feelings for Rose. It would certainly explain why she's delved into such a deep depression...even if the rest of us were also scared to death about what was happening in Russia.

But I wasn't going to tell Christian any of that.

* * *

"_Look, Christian it was what it was. You can't change what happened. All you can change is where you go from here."_

"_Wow, look at this. Mia Rinaldi – bad girl turned life coach. I like it."_

"_Don't you dare make fun of me Ozera," I warned as I hit his arm. "Do not compare me to some old, washed up life coach who's too lazy to find a real job. I'm simply way smarter than the rest of the yahoos that go here."_

_I saw that mischievous grin making an appearance again and something inside of me started to feel…fuzzy. I was sitting here with Christian Ozera and I was feeling fuzzy. _

_What the hell was going on?!_

"_Earth to Mia…" he said in a mocking, singsong voice._

"_What?" I quickly recovered._

_Christian eyed me suspiciously. "Where did you go just now?"_

"_Oh—I was just – " Think Rinaldi, think. "I was just thinking about that test."_

"_What test?"_

"_You know that – that math test. That I have. We, actually." _

"_You mean the one we're having next week?"_

"_Yes!" I chortled. "Yes, that's…that's the, uh, the very one I'm talking about. Don't know why it suddenly popped in my head."_

"_Oh, come on Mia! That thing is going to be a piece of cake. I bet the 1__st__ graders could probably ace that thing. What are you so worried about?"_

"_Christian…its calculus." He looked at me incredulously. "Cal-cu-lus." I continued. _

"_So?"_

"_So – its not exactly the easiest subject in the world, you know!"_

"_Well then let me help you."_

* * *

The way he looked at me when he said that completely threw me off balance. He was…charming...genuine...and dare I say…kinda sexy.

I don't know how, and I don't know why exactly, but it happened. I had fallen for him. That nervous, aching feeling in my chest had definitely confirmed as much.

Don't get me wrong. I know how crazy this is. I've been driving myself insane all week thinking about it. Every time I've hung out with Lissa since that day…I've been feeling incredibly guilty. I can't help it, but I think I need to be honest with her too. She doesn't really know I'm still talking to Christian. Why did this have to happen when things finally settled down with everyone?

The thing is, I genuinely enjoy spending time with him. This has nothing to do with getting some kind of twisted upper hand against Lissa – those days are over. Christian is just…we're so similar. I had no idea how just how much. Even if we're doing something boring, like studying for our calculus exam, I can't help but feel drawn to him. Plus, the boy is beautiful. He's also incredibly intelligent. If it wasn't for him helping me out I wouldn't have passed that damn calculus exam.

I'd really like to be able to tell him how I feel one day. Only thing is, I'm afraid that no matter what I'd do, or what I'd say…I wouldn't hold a candle to Lissa in his eyes. I mean there's me, and then there's her. I'm really at a loss of what to do here.

So much for staying clear of any drama…

**End of Chapter 8**

**I always felt Mia's character could have been explored a little more, which is why I was so excited to do a chapter from her point of view! I definitely grew to like her very much during Shadow Kiss. I also think she could have had some serious potential with Christian in the books, if Richelle Mead had gone that way of course (again, I love the canon of VA too!). Too bad that course wasn't really explored in Blood Promise ;) Anyway, I'd love to hear from all of you lovely readers on how you liked my Christian/Mia back story. More to come for Rose and Lissa again soon! **

**-Grey**


	10. Chapter 9

**Rose**

I was walking on a beach in Portland – the same one Lissa and I used to go to during the time we were hiding out there. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and it was a gorgeous day. I was wearing a fabulous bikini and heading up the shoreline when I realized there was no one on this beach except me. At least, that's what I initially thought.

"Rose!"

I turned around in an instant to see who it was and my heart leapt with joy at the familiar face before me.

It was Adrian – and this was his dream. Or my dream. I never could tell the difference whenever we were in this type of scenario.

"Adrian!" I shouted as I ran up to him. God it was good to see him. I was so grateful that after all this time he finally managed to make contact with me.

He engulfed me into a giant hug. "Rose…Oh my God, Rose–where are you right now?! What the hell happened? I need to know so I can help the other Guardians track you down."

That's when the happiness in my reunion with him came to a screeching halt. I had to remind myself that this _was_ a dream – and in reality I only had a precious few hours of normalcy left before Dimitri made good on his promise to turn me Strigoi.

Adrian noticed the drastic change in my expression, worry and fear emerging in his eyes. "Rose, what happened to you?" he repeated earnestly.

"Adrian…it's a long story but, I'm afraid I can't really give you any good news." His worry rendered him speechless, so I continued. "I don't have much time left. I found Dimitri but he – he's – "

"He's Strigoi now, isn't he?" He finished for me.

"Yes," I confirmed, my voice barely audible. "Adrian he's – he's holding me captive in this giant house located God only knows where…and it's completely filled with other Strigoi that he's got under his control. He's turned into some sort of gang leader out here."

"Rose, do you have any idea exactly where you are at all? I mean, is there anything specific you can tell me about your whereabouts that'll help the Guardians locate you?"

I looked at him helplessly. I was certain there wasn't anything he or anyone else could really do to help me at this point. I thought about what I saw in his vision with Lissa, the euphoria that spread through me when I heard her admit to Adrian that she…that she loved me. I was so happy, and so filled with hope and determination in that moment, but with my situation being what it was I started to wonder if escape was even a realistic option. I ached for Lissa more and more with each passing moment, but I had to be honest with myself here. There were so many other gaps and dodges that factored into my getting away from Dimitri in one piece. "I – I honestly don't know. I was staying in this little town outside of [Novbirsik] when I found Dimitri. I'm guessing the house might be somewhere near there, but I can't say for sure."

"That's fine! At least that gives me some sort of idea of how to help Alberta narrow down your whereabouts. She and Stan will know how to take it from there."

"Adrian…there isn't…" I exhaled in despair in frustration. "There isn't anything anyone can do for me right now. Dimitri has me locked up and under full guard with his army of Strigoi. He's going to turn me. If I try to escape, I doubt I'll make it very far. They'll catch up to me eventually and just wind up killing me anyway. Either way I'm screwed."

"No, Rose he – "

"He gave me a time frame, Adrian. It's – it's going to happen tomorrow," I swallowed. "Tomorrow night."

"What about the Russian Guard? I can get Alberta and Stan to contact them right away and start a search party so they can get you out of there."

I desperately wanted to believe that there would be some sort of eleventh hour reprieve, but Dimitri was so powerful. So lethal. I wasn't about to cause the death of Lord knows how many valued Guardians out here just so I would come out of this alive.

My eyes pleaded with Adrian to understand. This was it. This was the end for me.

He had to break it to Lissa so she…so she could let me go. I loved her so much it hurt – it physically hurt. She has meant more to me than my own life. I needed to do this for her.

"Promise me something?" I asked.

He took my hands in his and gave them a quick squeeze. "Anything."

"Please just – just – look after her?"

"Rose, don't…" he begged.

"I need to know she'll be safe – "

"She _will_ be safe – with you as her Guardian! You are not giving up Rose!"

"I don't have another choice. Dimitri is coming after her – after all the Royals! He wants to declare war on the Moroi."

There was a long pause before he answered me again. "You're – you're really serious…aren't you?"

"You have no idea…how much I wish I wasn't. Dimitri isn't just throwing around empty threats to take over the government. I've seen it all while being held here. He's building an army, and he wants to wipe every Royal in existence off the map. " I flinched as horrible thoughts of Dimitri taking Lissa's life flashed through my mind. I couldn't help it. I was terrified of not being able to protect her.

"Wow…" was the only response he could muster. I think my warnings were finally starting to sink in.

My voice brought his attention towards me once again. "Adrian, that's why I need you to take care of her. I'm going to fight like hell, but, I'm not sure I'll be able to get out of this alive. You have to promise me you won't let anything happen to Lissa." My heart clenched at the thought of losing her – of never seeing her beautiful face again.

Adrian wiped away the tear crawling down my cheek and took a gentle hold of my shoulders. "Rose I want you to look at me. I'm going to help you. We _can_ do this. To hell with Dimitri and his demented Strigoi posse, Ok – I'm telling Alberta and Aunt Tatiana what's really going on so we can finally take some action. We're not going down without a fight either."

I knew the Guardians would jump at the chance to kick some serious Strigoi ass – especially after the attack on our school. That horrible tragedy caused a worldwide uproar that even crusty old Tatiana couldn't ignore.

"Ok. Ok, Adrian, but you've got to move fast. I certainly don't have much time left, but I hope you can put this information to good use."

He gave me shoulders a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "We're going to save a lot of lives Rose, and it's all thanks to you. Just, do me one more favor Ok?"

"What's that?"

"Don't give up…don't lose hope. Lissa, she – she – there's something you should know."

My heart stood still. "What's going on with Lissa?" I said slowly. "Is she – is she hurt? Is she alright?"

"Physically, she's absolutely fine. Emotionally, mentally…well, she's a mess, Rose. She's so lost without you. It's something not even Spirit can be blamed for. Not this time."

His words only enhanced my yearning to be with her. I release my anxiety in a frustrated sigh. "I thought I was doing the right thing by leaving her behind, and that I had lost her anyway after coming back to the Academy. I – I didn't think she needed me anymore."

Adrian chuckled. "That is the furthest thing from the truth." For a moment I felt is eyes scrutinizing me, and I knew exactly what he was doing. He was studying my Aura again.

"I can't believe I never noticed this before now. Man was I blind…"

"Noticed what?"

"You're connection with Lissa." His expression softened. "It's not just skin deep. It's soul deep."

Lissa and I…we _were_ bounded to each other's souls. Even before the bond, I knew I was never completely "me" without her. She understood me in a way that no one else ever had, and I knew no one else ever would. She knew every part of me, inside and out. It was one of the reasons why I loved her so much.

"Adrian, there's something you should know." His eyebrows perked up in curiosity. "Adrian I – I saw something earlier today. I saw you and Lissa…you were talking." I let out my nervousness in a deep breath before I continued. "I know what she…confessed to."

Shock radiated across his face. That was probably one of the last things he expected to be hearing from me. "So – so you know that – that she – "

"Yes," I confirmed. "I know how you figured out her feelings for me through reading her Aura, and how she went back into her memory of the crash…all of it."

He gave my hands a small squeeze and looked at me nervously. "Well, I can imagine it shocked the hell out of you at first. I mean, that was my initial reaction. But, Lissa is the closest thing I have to family. I would never judge her for feeling the way she does. Can't say I really blame her either," he smirked.

A smile crept across my lips. "I was taken aback…at first. But, then I started to feel something else."

"And what was that?"

My smile lit up as I relived the moment in my mind. "It was like my universe suddenly just snapped right into place. You know? Deep down I knew in my heart that it felt right. It _is_ right…it's right with Lissa."

Adrian was stunned. I think this visit with me had done enough to leave him pretty flabbergasted for a while, considering all these revelations about me and Dimitri I had laid on him. If I managed to make it out of this thing alive, I seriously owed him.

"Rose, look," he sighed. "I just want you to be happy. Lissa too. And I'll do everything I can to help you get out of here and stop Dimitri." He gave me a soft peck on the forehead and wrapped his arms around me in a warm embrace, which I was more than happy to return.

"Thank you Adrian," I mumbled into his shirt. "This means more to me than you will ever know."

"It'll mean more to Lissa, believe me," he chuckled.

"You were right, about what you said before. I know my odds are against me right now but, I'm not going to give up. Not when there's someone I love who's waiting for me to come home."

"That's my girl," he grinned. "You just hang on. We're coming for you Rose."

Then he started to fade away. "_Goodbye, Little Dhampir…"_

I blew him a kiss as his silhouette began to disappear. "Goodbye Adrian."

My eyes shot open. I was awake again, brought back to my less than appealing reality. But I wasn't going to just take this laying down. Not anymore.

I was going to set my plan in motion to get the hell out of here.

**- End of Chapter 9 –**


End file.
